A Kiss For You

by Rachel Van Dyken

  “It’s fine,” I said, turning my back on him.

  Because it didn’t matter how hot he looked or how much he looked like he was ready to devour me again, he had reminded me all too well why I had sworn off the Wright family.

  “Anything else for you two?” the woman asked. She placed our treats on the counter.

  “I’ll take a cup of coffee,” I said.

  “Make that two.”

  I pulled out my wallet to pay. I did not want him to think this was a date.

  He shooed me aside. “I’ve got it.”

  “I can pay for my own things,” I said irritably.

  “I know you can, but I invited you here. So, I’m paying.” His face was stern, and I realized he had switched into business mode or something. Because he was not brokering any arguments.

  I raised my hands in defeat and grabbed my plate of sweets. “I’ll get us a table.”

  A table was open in the back corner, and I plopped down into the open seat that faced the rest of the store. I was maddeningly curious about what Jensen wanted to talk about mere hours after ditching me. Part of me wanted to have a plan for whatever was going to come out of his mouth, but I felt woefully unprepared.

  Jensen set our coffees along with his slice of cake on the table. I added cream and sugar while I avoided eye contact.

  “Emery,” he began, “I…”

  I glanced up at him over the rim of my coffee. I blew on it a little and then took a sip. “What?”

  “I think I’ve made a horrible mistake.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “Going on a date with you,” he answered.

  I was out of my seat before I could even process what had been said. “Well, that’s just…that’s wonderful, Jensen.”

  “Emery, sit down. Come on, just sit.”

  “And why should I?” I set my mug of coffee down but didn’t sit. “We had an awesome time last night, and then poof, you turned into an asshole. Then, you invited me here, only to tell me you regret last night?”

  “Emery, please,” he said. His body was still, perfectly in control. He didn’t even glance around at the people who were looking at me funny. “Let me explain.”

  I sank back into my seat. “Explain what?”

  “I thought you were getting your PhD. I thought you said you were still at school in Austin, studying history and European mistresses. That’s what you told me. That’s what I thought. But you’re not doing that,” he accused.

  My blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re staying in town, aren’t you?” he asked. The idea seemed to distress him.

  “How could you possibly know that? I’ve told only a handful of people, and even my mom doesn’t believe me,” I told him.

  “Because you told Landon,” he said with raised eyebrows.

  “You talked to Landon?” I gasped. “About me?”

  “Not…exactly.”

  “You didn’t tell him what happened, did you?” I asked with wild, wide eyes.

  “Look, I didn’t talk to him. Morgan did. His wife is still pissed that you’re here. Morgan didn’t know about what happened with us. So, no, he doesn’t know. And I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “You said…didn’t know. Morgan didn’t know, but she does now?”

  Jensen shifted uncomfortably. “It was kind of an accident.”

  “Oh, for the love of…” I cried, trailing off. “You don’t want Landon to find out about your big mistake, but you told Morgan? Are you out of your mind?”

  “Starting to feel like it,” he grumbled.

  “Great. You brought me all the way here to tell me what a big mistake I was and that Landon is probably going to find out.” I grabbed my snickerdoodle cookie and took a giant bite out of it. Then, I gave him a thumbs-up and mockingly nodded my head.

  “It’s not like that. It’s more a matter of principle, Emery. I had a great time, but I don’t date girls in town. And, if I had known you were staying, I never would have asked you out.”

  I swallowed back the choked words that wanted to come out at that statement. I was wrong. Jensen Wright was not different. He was just like every other guy on the planet. He’d used me for sex, and then he’d ditched me. And, even worse, he was making it a point to cement that knowledge with me in person.

  “I guessed that when you dropped me off this morning. You didn’t need to come here to tell me that to my face,” I told him with venom in my voice. I pushed the plate of macarons toward him. “Have a macaron. They’re my sister’s favorite. She owns this bakery. She’d want you to have one.”

  I stood and walked away from Jensen.

  “Emery,” he called.

  And then I heard him curse loudly. He jogged to keep up with me as I walked to my Forester waiting on the street.

  He grabbed my elbow and tried to pull me to a stop. “Emery. Hey, stop.”

  “Why?” I asked. “We had one night together. What am I to you?”

  “I don’t know!” he said, frazzled. “I don’t know, all right? It’s like some goddamn self-preservation kicked in, and I had to stop this before it got out of hand.”

  “How could it possibly get out of hand?” I demanded.

  “Because being with you breaks all the rules!”

  “Rules are meant to be broken.”

  “Not these rules.”

  I shrugged. “I have rules, too. I swore, I’d never look at another person from the Wright family. I decided Wright isn’t right,” I said, mocking the Wright Construction motto. “Yet here we are.”

  Then, suddenly, Jensen’s fingers pushed up into my loose ponytail. His palms cupped my cheeks. His dark eyes gazed down into mine, and I didn’t move a muscle to stop him. The energy felt charged, heating the air between us and dragging me into his downward spiral. I could see our breaths mingling in the frigid air. His lips met mine, soft and tender, searching to make sure this was allowed. I was frozen for a second before I met his touch. He pulled me against him, crushing our mouths together. And it didn’t seem to matter in this moment that we were in broad daylight on one of the busiest streets in Lubbock.

  I couldn’t get enough of his mouth, his body. The feel of him through the layers of clothing. The taste of him. He was everywhere.

  Slowly, my brain came back to my body, and I shoved him away from me.

  “How dare you!” I spat. “You cannot send me mixed signals like this, Jensen. Either you want more or you don’t. I won’t play games with you. I’m tired of being jerked around by men who think that they can do whatever they want.”

  “Emery, that’s not—”

  “Save it,” I said, raising my hand to silence him. “I’ve heard enough.”

  Chapter 15

  Emery

  I leaned back against the giant glasses sculpture outside of the Buddy Holly Center. They were iconic to the legend who had been born here and gone on to such fame. I’d worked here on and off throughout most of high school, and being back felt just as surreal as everything else that had been happening in my life. I felt like I was reliving high school, only with a different Wright brother.

  Betty hit the curb in her old red Buick LaCrosse and then parked in front of the center. She waved at me from the driver’s side. I could only laugh. She had always been out there.

  “Hi, Emery, dear. How are you?” Betty said. She hurried over to where I was standing and then gestured for me to follow her.

  “Doing all right. How about yourself?” I asked.

  Betty jingled the keys and then hit the door with her hip to let us inside. “I’m just fine. This way. Oh, you know the way.”

  I did, but I didn’t say anything.

  “I’m dreadfully sorry that we’re closed today. We had to do some maintenance and decided to shut down during the holidays.”

  “Maintenance?” I asked.

  “Replace the floors, new roof—that sort of thing. Wright Construction offered to do the whole thing at a discount
since we’re a historic museum. Isn’t that wonderful?” Betty asked. She finally reached her office and let me inside.

  “Just wonderful,” I agreed, unable to escape the Wrights for even one day.

  “That Jensen Wright came over to tell me himself.”

  “That was nice of him,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Here we are,” Betty said. “Thank you for being able to meet with me today. I’m going to Florida to visit my grandbabies for Christmas, and I won’t be back until after the New Year. It would have delayed everything for you.”

  “This is great. I appreciate you coming in early for me. Who is going to be here to let people in for the construction crew?” I took the stack of paperwork from Betty and hastily filled out the sections to get my job back and be on payroll.

  “We have a few people who will be here for the holidays. They have keys and can alternate days. But we’re closed up from Christmas to New Years.”

  “Well, if you need someone, let me know. I will be around.”

  “I’m sure they would love to work you into the schedule. Let me get you a copy of the key while we’re at it,” she said.

  A few minutes later, I had successfully filled out the paperwork, gotten ahold of the keys to the Center, and was on the schedule for the construction crew. That also meant I was going to be getting some money in for the holidays.

  I left Betty, feeling more accomplished. Even though this wasn’t my dream job, it was at least a job. Something tangible to hold me in Lubbock that wasn’t just family and old memories.

  When I hopped back into my Forester, I realized that had taken a lot longer than I’d thought. It had only felt like a few minutes, being inside there, but I was definitely going to be late for my shopping date with Heidi and Julia. They seemed intent on me going, and I did need a pick-me-up.

  I had been trying not to think about Jensen and what had happened. But I was just so confused and upset, something I didn’t really like admitting. I hated him thinking that what we had done was a mistake. I wanted more of his kisses. I wanted more of the guy who had unapologetically sang Mariah Carey with me. And, even worse, I knew that he was right. I hadn’t thought this was a real thing to begin with. I’d wanted to get a piece of him without thinking about what would come next. I wanted to think it was better this way, but it didn’t feel like that. I was hoping retail therapy would help.

  Malouf’s was swamped for the holidays, and it wouldn’t have been my first choice. Mostly because I couldn’t afford anything in the store. Everything was designer and custom-made. Kate Spade, Kendra Scott, Tom Ford. Oh, my! But Heidi and Julia each had well-paying Wright Construction jobs, and I was sure I could find something. Maybe on the sale rack.

  I hurried across the parking lot to get out of the frigid, windy weather. Screw Lubbock and its freezing air the day after it was seventy. I barreled through the front door and found Heidi talking animatedly to Julia, who was holding up a black dress with a plunging neckline.

  “I’m here. I made it. Sorry I’m late,” I said to the girls.

  “Em! Just in time,” Heidi said. “Tell Julia that she would look smoking hot in this dress.”

  “It’s black. I like it.” That had been my motto since junior high. My closet was filled up with black jeans, black sweaters, black tank tops, and black sneakers. All black everything.

  “I knew you would say that,” Heidi said with a grin.

  Contemplatively, Julia held the dress at arm’s length. Black was a good choice with her hair that had all the burgundy undertones that she’d highlighted. Plus, it was slimming, which was good for everyone, except for Heidi, who was built like a Barbie doll. And, while Heidi had the enviable prom-queen looks, Julia just had something about her. Between her mahogany hair and studded ears and tattoos peeking out from under her edgy leather-detailed dress, she was the mysterious girl you didn’t bring home to Mom. I liked her for that. Kind of felt like she and I could gang up on Heidi together…and maybe even win. But probably not.

  “It’s so not me, but I’ll try it on.”

  “Nothing in this store is ever me either,” I told Julia. “But, if you don’t try on everything Heidi wants you to wear, then you won’t make it out of here alive.”

  “Damn straight,” Heidi said with a sharp nod of her head. “Now, let me play dress-up!”

  We wandered around the store together with Heidi randomly throwing things into our arms. Julia and I exchanged looks full of sympathy for each other. I had something hot pink in my pile. Julia had a pastel. Heidi herself had all the best pieces that only worked on someone who was five foot nine or above.

  The manager came over and procured dressing rooms for all of us, offering us assistance if we needed different sizes. I shimmied into the hot-pink dress first just to get it over with, and Heidi hysterically laughed at me until I went back into the dressing room for something else.

  “Okay, I know it’s a touchy subject,” Heidi called over the dressing room wall, “but can we talk about Jensen?”

  I stepped out of the dressing room and crossed my arms until she came out of her room. “No.”

  “What about Jensen?” Julia asked.

  She appeared in a stunning olive-green dress that complemented her style perfectly. I was sure it would be a winner.

  “Can I tell?” Heidi asked.

  “Fine, but I’m not trying on that weird patterned thing you gave me,” I told her.

  “Ugh! Fine! I’m just trying to brighten up your wardrobe.”

  “You’ve been trying for twenty years. It’s not going to work.”

  She laughed and flipped me off. “Anyway, Emery went on a date with Jensen.”

  “Oh, wow! Was it hot?” Julia asked.

  “So hot,” Heidi said.

  “Heidi, can you not?” I demanded.

  “Sorry!” she squeaked. “Anyway, he was a total ass to her afterward, and then he was an even bigger ass by asking her to coffee to tell her the whole thing was a mistake.”

  “That sucks. Sorry, Emery,” Julia said.

  “It’s fine,” I told them. “Really, it was one date. And then…another kiss that meant nothing. He kissed me after telling me how much of a mistake our date was because he doesn’t date in town and how it never should have happened because I moved back home. Oh! And he fucking told Morgan. Now, Landon is totally going to find out.”

  “And Landon doesn’t know you went on a date with his brother?” Julia asked.

  I shook my head. “I’d like to keep it that way.”

  Okay, so I wasn’t fine. I was still frustrated. Even more so because Jensen hadn’t left me alone. He’d messaged me a handful of times to try to talk to me again. I couldn’t figure out why he thought I would see him again. After our last conversation and how it had ended, I didn’t think that was a good idea.

  “Yeah, but he’s still messaging you,” Heidi said.

  “Then, he must like you,” Julia said. “Maybe he’s just…bad at communication.”

  “Just what I want in a guy. A bad communicator.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Julia said. “I mean, what if he is scared of how he feels for you? You said he didn’t date in town. Maybe it freaked him out when he realized that you were going to live here, and he said things all wrong.”

  I slid my gaze over to Julia. “Jensen Wright does not say things wrong. He is a businessman. He says what he means and takes what he wants. I feel that I have to take him at face value.”

  “That seems fair,” Julia said. “But the real question is it worth always having that what-if with him?”

  I shrugged. That I didn’t know. It was too much to think about.

  “Just go into it with your eyes wide open,” Heidi said. “You know he has baggage and shit. He’s a Wright. He’s filthy rich and sleeps with supermodels and all that. You know his deal. If you can live with him flying to New York every holiday, then who am I to stop you from having some fun? I just want you to be happy.”


  “Also, that dress is fucking hot,” Julia said to change the subject.

  I glanced at my dress in the trifold mirror and smiled. It did look fucking hot. Actually, it was perfect. It was a skintight black dress with a lace front neckline that went down to almost my navel and had an open back. Paired with some stiletto heels out of Kimber’s closet, and I could even pass for a girlie girl.

  “You need it,” Heidi said at once. “I mean, you really, really need it.”

  I checked the price tag, and my eyes doubled in size. “It’s three hundred dollars. I don’t need it that bad.”

  “Oh, but you do! And…I haven’t gotten you a Christmas present yet. So, that can be my present!” Heidi said.

  “Psht! Are you insane? I’m not letting you get me a three-hundred-dollar dress for Christmas.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I could never repay you for a present like that. Anyway, where would I even wear this? I live in jeans and T-shirts. I would get no use out of it.”

  “Actually,” Heidi said with innocent eyes.

  “Oh no,” I said with a sigh. “You’re about to tell me the real reason we’re shopping, aren’t you?”

  “There’s a Christmas party I want you to come to with me and Julia on Friday night. And I thought we could all get our dresses for the party here!”

  My eyes slid to Julia. “Where’s the party? I know she won’t tell me.”

  “Uh…”

  “Come on, Em. It’s just one party.”

  “Yeah, and it was just one wedding. Look how well that worked out for me,” I told her.

  “I think it worked out pretty well. You’re not thinking about Professor McJerkface, and you had a lot of sex.”

  Julia snort-laughed and then covered her mouth. “Professor McJerkface?”

  “It’s a long story,” I told her.

  “Okay, picture this,” Heidi said. “You wear that dress. I do your hair and makeup. You borrow Kimber’s stilettos, the really fancy Louboutins that crush your pinkie toes. But how can you resist the red-lacquered bottoms?” It was as if she were reading my mind. “You walk into the party. All eyes fall on you. You’re like fucking Cinderella for a moment. And then, poof, your Prince Charming shows up, and voilà, the night has endless possibilities.”